Bread slicing equipment



July 2, 1940. D TAYLOR ET AL 2,206,207

BREAD SLICING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1939 DONALD DIAY OR ALVIN P. BIXLE'R Patented July 2, 1940 BREAD sucmce EQ IPMENT Donald D. Taylor, Duncannon, and Alvin P.

Bixler, New Buffalo, Pa. Application December 14, 1939, ScriaLlNo. 309,275 20laims. crime-150p Our invention relates to improvements in bread slicing equipment and has to do, more particularly, with the provision of a novel device through the use of which conventional machinegc cut bread slices may be further divided toa thickness of one-quarter of an inch, the thickness regarded as that most acceptable for the making of dainty party sandwiches, Melba toast and the like. j [0 The difficulty of slicing fresh bread is .well known to housewives and, as a consequence,

much of the bread now marketed has been presliced at the bakery to a standard thicknessof one-half inch which, while a desirable thickness for general table use and heavy sandwiches, is

not suitable for many other purposes such. as,

party sandwiches, canapes and the like.

Devices for the slicing of a one-half inch slice of bread into two slices of one-quarter inch in thickness have been marketed and have enjoyed substantial retail acceptance, but they have embodied certain unavoidable limitations among which are bulkiness, substantial weight, considerable cost to manufacture, and the requirement :5 of an appreciable degree of care on the part of the operatorto avoid tearing the thin slices during removal. from the plates upon which they are impaled. l 1 The device of the present invention distin- 0 guishes, itself from those, above-mentioned, in that the bisected slices are more readilyremoved and 'need for especial care is avoided.

Moreover, the device. of the present invention is of simple and durable construction capable of 5 economical manufacture and can be produced in one rigid piece by stamping and pressing from a single sheet-metallic blank, or by molding from. plastic composition.

The device of the present invention is further advantageously distinguished from that hereto-j fore known and. available in that it is more.

compact, permitting shipment orstorage in less space; in that it is free from hinged joints, rendering it less subject to injury by dropping permitting simplified and less expensive packaging for shipping purposes; and in that the knife employed therewith need not be removed eachv time a slice has been bisected in order to 5 permit placement of a. fresh slice.

The foregoing advantages, inherentlin constructions embodying the several concepts of the present invention, constitute the objects to which it is directed.

. or other abuse; in that it is lighter in weight,

will be placed under a slight degree :ofhcomno mics of construction and details of use will more definitelyjappear to those skilled in the art upon familiarization with the detailed description to follow. In one instance, we accomplish the objects of our invention by the means and methods set forth in the following specifi cationm Our invention is clearly defined in the appended claims. Onestructure constituting a preferred embodiment ,of our invention is 'illus tratedin the accompanying drawing forming a 1 .part of this specification, in which:

v Figure lis a top plan View of a device e mbcdying the invention disclosed in appropriate association with a conventional bread-board and bread kr1ife,fthe associated "knife blade. being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same device, in side elevation, theknife blade being shown in cross section} l l Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the same device, 2

illustrating a bread slice associated therewithy Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of thedevice taken on the line i -4 of Fig. 1; j j l I Fig. .5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view 2 of the device taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 isa view, in side elevation and on a smaller scale, of a modified form of the invention in whichthe bread knife guiding means are 3 constituted by a pair of longitudinally-slotted flanges formed from the same blank as the plate member. l The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the severalviews.

In a broad sense, our invention finds embodiment in a device for facilitating the laminarbisection of a conventional slice of bakers loaf bread into two similar slices each of one-half standard thickness, which device is intended'for use upon a conventional bread-board and consists of a plate member provided with a gen erally flat undersurface adapted for firm direct engagement with the top surface of a sliceuof bread fiatly disposed directly upon the plane surface of the bread-board. =Means are provided integral with the plate member, and marginally arranged with respect thereto, which means directly support the plate member upon the surface of the bread-board so. as to definitely maintain the undersurface of the plate member elevatedabove the board a fixed, uniform distance such that a conventional. bread slice interposed between the supported plate and the bread-board.

pression. Means are also desirably provided upon the undersurface of the plate member for increasing the frictional contact of the plate member with the bread slice and precluding lateral movements thereof during the cutting operation. In addition, guide means are pro- Ill).

vided integral with the plate member for receiving the blade of the bread knife and accurately directing cutting movements thereof along a plane parallel to the undersurface of the plate,

member and definitely spaced therefrom a distance equal to substantially one-half of the thickness of the bread slice to be bisected. These guide means, in accordance with the present invention, comprise a pair of bread-lmife-supporting rails, one disposed along each of two opposite side edges of the plate member. *The two rails are. each secured to the plate member solely at their ends, so as to provide intermediate or span portions upon which the lower cheek of the inserted bread knife may ride with facility during manual cutting movements applied thereto. 7 The two span portionsof the said rails are disposed in a common plane and the top edges of said span portions lie in a common plane parallel to the undersurface of the plate member, which plane. is spaced from the plane of the" plate members undersurface a distance substantially one-half the thickness of the bread slice to be bisected. Preferably, though not essentially, the guide means include a longitudinal member overlying each rail in uniform, spaced relation thereto, which longitudinal members, by virtue of their closely spaced relationship to the rails, positively restrict the inserted knife blade to flatwise disposition upon the rails.

. The-above-defined structure is fabricated into a substantially rigid, non-articulated organization. The longitudinal members, as well as the rails with which they cooperate for blade guidance are desirably formed from the same single piece of stock as the plate member. However, for enablingmanufacture with a minimum of die operations, these parts may be formed separately and assembled by riveting or welding operations.

Similarly, while the devices disclosed in the accompanying drawing are formed from metallic sheet and wire stock, the device is susceptible of manufacture in wood or plastics by molding and other operations well known in the art.

Referring, now, to the accompanying drawing in which we havedisclosed a device constituting a preferred embodiment of our invention, the device consists of a plate member in formed from thin sheet metal by suitable die operations, which plate member is divided into what may be termed a major area Illa and a minor area "lb. The major area of the plate is of a size and configura tion such as to be able to completely overlie a conventional slice A of bakers loaf bread flatly disposed upon a conventional bread-board B. The major area lfia is preferably studded with a multiplicity of bread-slice-engaging studs ll whichpreclude lateral displacements of the bread slice relative to the undersurface of the plate. The minor'area lilb of, the plate member is preferably not so studded, but is provided, at each side thereof, with cut-out openings I2, the purpose of which will later be explained.v I

In order to insure properly spaced disposition of the undersurface of the plate member area lob with respect to the surface of the breadboard, the illustratedidevice is providedwith depending end flanges l3v and. I4 constituting extensions. of. the endsrof theplate member adjacent the areas Mia and Hlb, respectively. Atacing block l5, of Wood or similar soft material, is provided upon the inner surface of the flange l3 and is secured thereagainst by assembly studs I51 associated with adjacent portions of the plate member. This block l5 serves as a stop upon which the bread knife, employed with the device, is brought to bear during the final portion of the cutting operation performed by it. A handle I6 is secured to the top surface of the plate member [0 and serves as a means by which the device may be maintained in association with the bread-board B, as well as the means by which the device may be properly placed upon and lifted from the successive bread slices.

By virtue of the accurately determined depth of the flanges l3 and M, a bread slice overlain by the plate member portion Hla with its studs H will be slightly compressed and definitely held against lateral movement otherwise induced by cutting movements of the slicing knife. Guide means are provided in the illustrated device, for

insuring laminar bisection of the bread slice into two substantially identical half-thickness slices. These guide means consist of a pair of rails ll, one disposed along each side edge of the plate member. These rails H are each secured at its termini to the plate member adjacent the respective flanges l3 and M. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the rails l! are formed from stiff wire stock and are attached to the plate member by brackets i8, located adjacent the block i5, and brackets is, depending from the minor plate portion b. The brackets I8 and is are of such shape'and extent as to dispose the span portion of each rail il in paralsupport afforded by the depending. flanges I3 and i l of the device, due to the disposition of their lowermost lines or surfaces in the plane common to the lower edges of the depending end flanges.

The'span portions of the rails ll, extending, as they do,v nearly to the ends of the plate member Ill, serve as supports for flatwise disposition of the blade of a conventional bread knife during movements thereof essential to the bisection of the bread slice disposed beneath the major area we of the plate member. In order to insure such flatwise disposition of the knife blade with respect to the rails 11, the side edges of the major area 10a of the plate member are preferably errtended downwardly in the form of a pair of depending flanges 20 which are closely and uniformly spaced with respect to the adjacent span portions of the rails H and substantially precludetwisting movements of the there-betweendisposed bread knife. These depending flanges 2-H do not extend beyond the major area Illa of the bread knife with its blade in an absolutely horizontal plane, but these openings enable the Not only do the cut-out openings I2 sheet of material by suitable die and punching operations. In this construction, the rails I I1 andthe depending flanges 12!] are constituted by sideflanges formed from the same sheet of stock H as the plate, which flanges; are suitably slotted to snugly accommodate and guide the bread knife blade in its movements beneath the major plate area Illa.

The mode of use of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 through 5 should be self-evident from the foregoing description of its parts. A slice of bread A is first placed flatwise upon the conventional bread-boardB, whereupon the device is:

lifted by its handle l6 and placed thereover so as to bring the usual flat edge of the bread slice into abutment with the block IS. The major area Illa of the plate member will then overlie the entire top surface of the bread slice, whereas the minor area Iilb of the plate member is remote therefrom. The conventional bread knife C may then be readily inserted between the minor area lllb and the adjacent rails I! with its cutting edge facing the bread slide A. The user thereupon applies a slight amount of pressure upon the handle l6, bringing the lower edges of the flanges l3 and M, as well as of thebrackets l8 and I9, into contact with the top surface of the bread-board and placing the bread sliceunder a slight degree of pressure. The slice-impaling studs I l superficially penetrate the top surface of the bread slice and further insure against lateral movements thereof relative to the plate area Illa. The knife 0 is thereupon reciprocated while flatwise disposed upon the spans of the rails I! and, as manually directed through the bread slice toward the block I5, is maintained against twisting orcanting by holding it in contact with the rails H, the depending side flanges 20 if present, preventing such canting. Upon completion of the cutting operation described, the bread knife is returned to the initial position upon the rails [1, directly beneath the minor area I017 of the plate member and out of contact with the bisected bread slice. The resultant slices are each of one-half original slice-thickness. and the cut faces thereof are, if the knife be sharp, as nearly perfect in texture as the faces of the original slice. The blade of the knife having been returned to its initial position beneath the minor plate area IUb, the device, with the knife received therein may be lifted from the bread-board and the slices may be removed. If the bread-board be of considerable size, the slices to be out may be placed in two positions thereon andthe operator may shift the device from one position to the other, substituting fresh slices as the preceding slices are severed. In this manner, production of thin slices at a rapid rate is possible, a feature of considerable advantage over the capability of similar devices of heretofore known design.

The mode of useof the device disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawing is identical with that shown in Figs. lto 5 and need not be set forth.

, It will be readily appreciatedthat devices embodying the concepts of the presentinvention are characterized by salient advantages over those of the prior art. Our devices may be manufactured at far less cost than heretofore possible, for

v a conventional bread knife they require less material and less tool-work. Obviously, the devices may be. manufactured, by molding operations, from anytofwa number of well known plastic materials. Devices embodying my invention are far lighter in weight than those heretofore capable of the same performance. In addition, the construction lends itself to greater compactnessthan heretofore possible. The foregoing characteristics. are especiallydesirable in case of a device intended for sale or distribution as a premiu since shipping costs, @as well. as the manufacturing costs, are reduced to a minimum. The device is rugged and this feature, as Well as its characteristic compactness-is highly desirable because of the limited space available for storage of kitchen accessories in the modern home. The simplicity of operation of the device, rendering it usable by the most unskilled of domestic help, is another salient feature of advantage.

While we have disclosed two embodiments of the present invention as illustrative of its concepts, obviously such are capable of realization in a wide range of forms. Accordingly, we claim our invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A unitary rigid bread-board accessory for facilitating the slicing of a conventional slice of bread into two similar slices each of one-half conventional thickness, comprising: a plate member having a major area provided with a roughened flat undersurface adapted for firm direct engagement with the entire top surface of a slice of bread flatly disposed upon the plane surface of an ordinary bread-board and a minor area of an extent adequate to accommodate the blade of inserted transversely therebeneath and out of contact with said plateengaged bread slice, said minor plate area having deeply inwardly-notched side edges defining lmife-bladeesighting openings, means integral with said plate member and disposed marginally thereof for directly supporting said plate member from the surface of said bread-board with the bread-slice engaging surface of said plate member elevated thereabove a fixed uniform distance slightly. lessthan the bread slice to be bisected, and guide means integral with said plate member for accurately directing cutting movements of said knife blade along a plane parallel to the undersurface of said major plate area, "said guide means comprising a rail extendingalong each of two opposite side edges of the major portion of said plate member and also across the notched edges of said minor plate area, said rails being attached to said plate member solely at their ends and having their unattached span portions disposed with their top edges in a common plane parallel to and spaced from the undersurface plane of said. major plate area a distance substantially one-half the thickness of the bread slice to be bisected, and means for positively insuring flatwise disposition of the bread knife during its bread-slicing movements,

thickness of the said last-mentioned means comprising a shallow knife for slicing a conventional slice of bread into two slices of substantially equal thickness,

flange depending from each opposite side edge of comprising a flat top plate portion and supporting portions integral with said plate portion and. extending downwardly from the side margins of said plate portion adjacent each end thereof, a pair of guide members located one at each side margin of said plate portion each rigidly connecting the supporting portions at its side of said plate portion, each of said supporting portions extending from" said plate a distance slightly less than the thickness of a conventional slice of bread and the top surfaces of said guide members lying in a plane parallelto and separated from said plate portion by an amount slightly more than half such distance and defining with said plate portion knife-receiving slots terminating at each end short of the ends of said plate portion, and a multiplicity of projections on said plate portion extending toward the plane defined by the top surfaces of said guide members.

DONALD D. TAYLOR. ALVIN P. BDEER. 

